Jesse p



(No Model.)

J. PJSEAWELL.

PILE DRIVER. No. 280,407. Patented July 3, 1888.

PETERS. Phnlo-Lflhognphur, Washington, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE P. SEAVVELL, OF HOPE, ARKANSAS.

PlLE-DRIVER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 280,407, dateclduly 3, 1883.

Application filed April 13, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEssE P. SEAWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hope, in the county of Hempstead and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new andnseful Improvements in Pile-Drivers, of which the following is a specification.v 7

My invention relates to pile-drivers; and amongthe objects in View are to devise such a construction and arrangement of the parts as will permit a continuous and simultaneous operation of presenting and driving successive piles, and thus increase the amount of work accomplished within a given time, and this without increasing the number of attendants usually employed; to avoid changing the position of the driver back and forth and sidewise as each successive pile is presented and driven, and to adapt the driver for use in varied situations. Other objects and advantages will appear in the following description of its construction and operation, and its novel.

features will be specifically pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective, Fig. 2 is a vertical section, Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, and Fig. 4 a detail, of a pile-driving apparatus embodying my invention. Like letters refer to like parts in all the ures. Upon any suitable foundation which comprises longitudinal sills AA is erected a front and rear framework, B and C, and in the for mer are arranged a series of leaders or guide ways, D', and in the latter two swinging boom derricks, E E. On the extreme rear portion of the foundation is located any suitable steam hoisting apparatus, preferably comprising a continuously operative capstan or windlass and a friction hoisting-drum, which, being well known and not necessarily requiring to be altered in construction while used in connection with the pile-driver herein shown, need no further description. The derrick E being connected with the drop or hammer F and with the friction-drum of .the engine, and the otherderrick, E, being connected to the windlass or capstan, it will be seen that while the first is used for driving a pile in one of the leaders the other is also accessible and operative to simultaneously elevate and put into position another pile in another of the lead 'ers and prepare it to be driven.

From this general description the nature L and advantages of my invention, as broadly considered, are apparent, and although I hereinafter describe with more particularity the minor details of construction to illustrate one form of carrying my invention into practice, yet I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact details described, but deem all changes which are within the province of mechanical skill. as comprehended by my invention, so that alterations in these respects do not constitute a material departure therefrom.

Each of the derricks is of ordinary construc tion, and both are adapted by ropes and blocks eto be elevated and depressed, so that either may be swung under or over the other, and each may be arranged to operate over any one of the guideways or leaders D. A rope, 6, passes from the frictiondrum through the usual guide-pulleys on the standard of the derricks E, along its boom and over a pulley therein, andis secured to the drop or hammer, as shown, and a rope, 6 is passed several times around the continuously-operating capstan or Windlass of the engine and arranged upon the derrick E, as is the rope e on the derrick E, so that when secured to a pile and the surplus of the rope, or the end left free from the capstan or Windlass, is drawn by hand sufficiently to cause the coils thereof to grip the Windlass said pile is elevated and placed in-for example, the first leader, shown at a on the right side of the machine. In like manner a second pile may be placed in the next adjacent leaders, and while the second pile is being put in position the hammer or drop F may be driving the pile in the first leader. \Vhen this pile is driven the hammer is elevated clear of the first leader and the derrick Eis swungbver .the second pile, and the hammer entering the leads commences the operation of driving the pile previously set therein. At this time the derrick E is used to elevate and set the third pile in position. The operation is repeated for the fourth pile. This derrick is then elevated to pass or swing over the top beam, B, and the derrick E, with its dropweight, is brought over each pile set between the leaders and operated until a bent or series of piles is driven. The derrick E is then employed, if desired, in hoisting and placing stringers or ties upon the piles, when the operation of advancing the entire apparatus takes place. This is done ordinarily by a block and tackle secured in advance of the engine and to its windlass, and the operation of placing and driving the piles is resumed.

The apparatus being supplied with a series of leaders in number sufiicient to span the desired structure, all movements thereof, first rearward, then sidewise, and forward again, as required for each pile in single piledrivers, are obviated. The leaders or guideways in this instance comprise vertical parallel beams (I, secured to cross-bars (Z by cleats d, projectingfrom their front edge in the form of tenons and entering mortises in the leader (I. The cleats or tenons d, projecting from the lower beam, 11, have their ends rounded, so as to easilyslip off the lower mortises when the machine is to be folded for' transportation. The cleats or tenons (Z d" are narrower than the leaders (7, so that the latter are adapted to receive upon their front and rear surfaces the iia-ngesf, formed on the drop or hammer F, whereby it is guided or led in its vertical movements.

To adapt the machine to be folded for transportation, the uprights of the forward framework, B, are provided with a hinge or joint, B, and the lower cleats or tnons, d, are loosely fitted in the mortises of the leads (I and rounded off, as shown in dotted lines Fig. 2, so that by springing inward the foot of the braces 13* and withdrawing the tie-rods 1-)" the vertical front framework and leaders may be inclined rearwardly and laid nearly horizontally upon the frame G, the latter being also hinged at O to its bottom support; and to facilitate this folding chains may be used in place of the rods B and 1-3".

ln Fig. 4 I illustrate a guide, G, formed of a. single piece of metal, having lugs adapted to fit the leaders, and the circular aperture 1 adapted to receive the head of a pile, so that when placed thereon it serves as a guide for the pile when it is being driven.

By the construction thus far described the apparatus may be mounted on a flat-boat or a platfornrcar, with its forward end projecting therefrom about eighteen feet, or sufficient] y to operate in advance of either, the weight of the engine upon the rear cross-beams, A, acting as a balance, so that it is well adapted for railroad work, in which case as many leaders may be provided as is necessary to drive piles the entire width of the intended trestle or other work; and so in rip-rap work a series of piles may be driven without moving the driver, and in other respects it is apparent that by reason of the continuous operation of both derricks a much larger amount of work can be accomplished by the same number of men than with an ordinary pile-driver, and the series of piles will surely be in. line.

For railroad construction small flanged roll er-wheels are secured to the under side of the sills A to roll on the stringers set on top of the driven piles.

It is evident that more than two derricks and larger series of leaders may be employed, if desired.

Having described my invention and its operation, what I claim is- 1. In a piledriver, a series of leaders and derrieks, E E, for operating a drop or hanr mer in each ofthe leaders thereof, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a pile-driver, the combination ofa se ries ofleaders, a derrick and drop adapted to operate in any leader ofthe series, as described, with a separate derrick constructed and an ranged to place piles within the remaining leaders of the series, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of a foundation, A, a front frame-work, B, provided with leaders D, and a rear work, O, provided with separate independent derricks E E, substantially as speei fled.

4. The combination of the front framework, provided with a series of leaders, with the rear frame-work provided with derricks, each derrick adapted to swing by and over or under the other, substantially specified. v I

The combination of the series of leaders I), the drop or hammer F, swinging derrick it], provided with the tripping or drop-operating rope c, and the boom-adjusting rope a, substantially as shown and described.

0. The combination of the series of leaders I), the drop F, the swinging derricks E E, and the ropes c e c, and means for their operation, sul'istantially as described.

.In testimony whereof ,I affix my signature in 105 presence of two witnesses.

JESSE l. SEA\VELL.

. Massox,

B. M'AssoN. 

